CELPIP Vocabulary List: 200 Essential Words for CLB 9+

Vocabulary is worth 25% of your Writing score and heavily impacts Speaking. The difference between CLB 7 and CLB 9 is often just 30-40 upgraded words. This curated list gives you the highest-impact vocabulary for each CELPIP section.

How to Use This List

Don't just read — practice actively:

1. Learn 10 words per day (not 50 at once)
2. Write a sentence using each word
3. Say each sentence out loud (trains Speaking too)
4. Review yesterday's words before learning new ones
5. Use them in your CELPIP practice responses

Part 1: Replace Basic Words

The fastest vocabulary upgrade — stop using these basic words:

| ❌ Basic (CLB 6-7) | ✅ Advanced (CLB 9+) | Example | |---|---|---| | good | exceptional, remarkable, outstanding | "An exceptional opportunity" | | bad | detrimental, concerning, problematic | "A detrimental impact" | | big | substantial, significant, considerable | "A substantial improvement" | | small | minimal, negligible, marginal | "A negligible difference" | | important | crucial, essential, paramount | "A crucial factor" | | a lot | considerably, substantially, extensively | "Improved considerably" | | very | remarkably, exceedingly, profoundly | "Remarkably effective" | | get | obtain, acquire, attain | "Obtain permission" | | make | construct, generate, establish | "Establish a routine" | | give | provide, contribute, allocate | "Allocate resources" | | show | demonstrate, illustrate, indicate | "Demonstrate competence" | | help | facilitate, assist, contribute to | "Facilitate learning" | | think | consider, maintain, contend | "I firmly maintain" | | use | utilize, employ, leverage | "Leverage technology" | | like | appreciate, value, favour | "I greatly appreciate" | | need | require, necessitate, demand | "This necessitates" | | try | attempt, endeavour, strive | "Strive for excellence" | | keep | maintain, preserve, sustain | "Sustain momentum" | | change | transform, modify, revolutionize | "Transform the approach" | | start | initiate, commence, embark on | "Embark on a journey" |

Part 2: Transition & Linking Words

These connect your ideas smoothly — essential for both Writing and Speaking coherence scores.

Adding Information

• Furthermore, Moreover, Additionally, In addition to this
• What's more, On top of that, Not only... but also
• "Furthermore, the evidence suggests..."

Contrasting

• However, Nevertheless, Nonetheless, On the other hand
• Despite this, In contrast, Conversely, Although
• "Nevertheless, the benefits outweigh the costs."

Cause & Effect

• Consequently, Therefore, As a result, Hence
• This leads to, This results in, Due to, Owing to
• "Consequently, productivity has increased significantly."

Giving Examples

• For instance, For example, To illustrate, Such as
• A case in point is, This is exemplified by
• "For instance, studies conducted in 2025 revealed..."

Concluding

• In conclusion, To summarize, All things considered
• Weighing all factors, Ultimately, On the whole
• "All things considered, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages."

Emphasizing

• Particularly, Especially, Notably, Significantly
• It's worth noting that, What's crucial is
• "This is particularly relevant for..."

Part 3: Topic-Specific Vocabulary

Workplace & Career

• Nouns: productivity, efficiency, collaboration, initiative, deadline, delegation, innovation, accountability
• Verbs: implement, streamline, prioritize, coordinate, delegate, supervise, optimize
• Collocations: "meet a deadline," "take initiative," "boost productivity," "foster collaboration"

Community & Society

• Nouns: infrastructure, demographic, initiative, diversity, well-being, sustainability, engagement
• Verbs: revitalize, advocate, implement, allocate, address, promote
• Collocations: "community engagement," "address the needs of," "promote well-being," "allocate funding"

Education & Learning

• Nouns: curriculum, literacy, accessibility, pedagogy, scholarship, proficiency
• Verbs: cultivate, acquire, enhance, evaluate, facilitate, mentor
• Collocations: "cultivate critical thinking," "enhance proficiency," "bridge the gap"

Health & Lifestyle

• Nouns: well-being, nutrition, fitness, mindfulness, prevention, resilience
• Verbs: maintain, alleviate, prevent, promote, prioritize
• Collocations: "maintain a healthy lifestyle," "alleviate stress," "promote mental health"

Technology

• Nouns: innovation, automation, connectivity, cybersecurity, sustainability, efficiency
• Verbs: revolutionize, integrate, automate, optimize, streamline
• Collocations: "leverage technology," "digital transformation," "technological advancement"

Environment

• Nouns: sustainability, conservation, biodiversity, ecosystem, carbon footprint, emissions
• Verbs: mitigate, conserve, reduce, implement, advocate
• Collocations: "mitigate climate change," "reduce carbon footprint," "promote sustainability"

Part 4: Power Phrases for Speaking

Memorize these and plug them into any Speaking task:

Expressing Strong Opinions

• "I'm thoroughly convinced that..."
• "I wholeheartedly support..."
• "There's compelling evidence to suggest..."
• "I firmly maintain that..."

Hedging (Softening)

• "It seems reasonable to conclude..."
• "There's a strong possibility that..."
• "In most cases, this tends to..."
• "While I can't be entirely certain..."

Comparing

• "This far surpasses..."
• "In comparison with..."
• "The advantages significantly outweigh..."
• "This pales in comparison to..."

Advising (Task 1)

• "I would strongly recommend..."
• "It might be worth considering..."
• "One approach that could prove beneficial is..."
• "Have you given any thought to...?"

Part 5: Collocations (Word Pairs)

Collocations sound natural; wrong combinations sound awkward. Learn these pairs:

| ✅ Natural | ❌ Unnatural | |---|---| | make a decision | do a decision | | do research | make research | | take responsibility | get responsibility | | pay attention | give attention | | reach a conclusion | arrive to a conclusion | | raise awareness | lift awareness | | meet requirements | fill requirements | | gain experience | win experience | | pose a threat | make a threat | | draw a conclusion | pull a conclusion | | break a habit | destroy a habit | | face challenges | meet challenges | | set a goal | put a goal | | catch someone's attention | grab someone's eye | | make progress | do progress |

Daily Vocabulary Routine (15 minutes)

1. Morning (5 min): Review 5 words from yesterday + learn 5 new ones
2. Afternoon (5 min): Write 5 sentences using today's words
3. Evening (5 min): Say each sentence aloud (Speaking practice)

In 30 days, you'll have 150 new active vocabulary words — more than enough for CLB 9+.

Put Your Vocabulary to Work

Learning words in isolation isn't enough. Use them in practice responses and get feedback on whether you're using them correctly.

Practice Writing with vocabulary feedback → Our AI scores your vocabulary range and suggests improvements.